Dumbass Quote of the Day

Even as someone who reports every day on the mind-numbingly idiotic things wingnuts say and even when the statement is about rape, a subject on which wingnuts are notoriously ignorant and tone deaf, this statement from Texas state Rep. Jodie Laubenberg about rape and abortion left my jaw agape:

“In the emergency room they have what’s called rape kits where a woman can get cleaned out,” [Laubenberg] said, comparing the procedure to an abortion. “The woman had five months to make that decision, at this point we are looking at a baby that is very far along in its development.”

Her apparent confusion about “rape kits” — a phrase generally used to describe the equipment used by medical personnel during forensic examinations to gather physical evidence following allegations of rape or sexual assault — sparked widespread ridicule on social media sites. Laubenberg then simply rejected all proposed changes to her bill without speaking until the end of the debate.

She actually thinks that there doesn’t need to be an exception for rape in an anti-abortion bill because women “get cleaned out” when the hospital administers a rape kit. A rape kit, of course, does not make her “cleaned out,” it gathers evidence that can be used to catch the rapist. There aren’t enough faces or palms in the world.

How come the dumbest of the dumbest of class dumbfucks and air heads get themselves voted in?

Because what is even more disturbing, who the fuck votes for such a mentally challenged myopic jeebus drooler…cos she has to belong to the theist camp, there is no way that has any business elsewhere ?

These ‘roaches are a danger to themselves let alone the poor bastards that have to endure such devastating ignorance.

What is the average IQ of these dimwads?…too ‘effing low to register by the shape of it!

I pity her offspring…hell I pity her neighbours…in fact I pity the state …I really do!

I could be wrong but I’d bet that “Rape kit” in the mind of the average SKKKrotalMurKKKanPatriotiKKK Front sojer is some Lynchburg Lemonade, a few rufies and Teddyteabaggn’ Nugent’s greatest misogynistohits.

CaitieCat

Being of a more charitable sort than the good Representative, I hope she never, ever has cause to find out how wrong she was.

Forbidden Snowflake

Rape kits: you can get them at Wallmart.

eric

This is actually a twofer DAQotD. First she tells us she thinks rape kits are used to abort, then she tells us she thinks rape kits are used 5 months after the rape.

Don’t they have staff? You’d figure that, even if her office was full of fools, that the least foolish fool would’ve spoken up when she came up with the idea.

Ing:Intellectual Terrorist “Starting Tonight, People will Whine”

Went to Catholic Highschool. Confirming that this is taught as FACT that the rape kit involves washing the woman out.

Chiroptera

In defense of Laubenburg, rape kits only succeed in “cleaning out” in cases of legitimate rape.

eric

@9 – based on the article, this was said in a floor debate and was not a prepared statement.

Though it may still be somewhat reasonable to blame her staff. Comments like this rarely come out of nowhere. I would expect she’s made comments like this before in private meetings discussing her position on abortion. So its reasonable to wonder why her staff didn’t correct it then.

Artor

There’s only one face needed; Laubenberg’s. How about we get EVERYone’s palm to connect at high speed. Line starts here.

dingojack

Don’t they get Law and Order: Special Victim’s Unit in Texas?

Dingo

——–

Isn’t there an equivalent to the Principal Private Secretary in the American political system. you know, a person hired to make sure the politician doesn’t look like a complete knob?

This is a fairly succinct job description of the PPS:

Yes Minister

Minister for Administrative Affairs Jim Hacker: And you Bernard…. when the chips are down… whose side are you on? [mine or your employer, the Public Service].

PPS Bernard Wooley: Minister, my job is to ensure the chips never are down.

Doc Bill

Oh, if you think the wingnut Republican men in Texas are misogynists then take one of them add doses of viscousness, vindictiveness, extreme sexual repression, jealousy and control and you have a wingnut Republican woman Texan. Remember the Queen in V? That’s her.

Think of a hateful version of Phyllis Shlafly with big blonde hair, a country club membership and a sense of entitlement.

I’d take two Gohmerts for every Laubenberg.

garnetstar

I really take offense at her using “cleaned out” to mean “aborting” or “terminating” a pregnancy. It shows the contempt that she has, really, for pregnancy itself. She says she believes “life” is so sacred, but ending it is just the woman being “cleaned out”. As if a pregnancy is just some sort of garbage to be disposed of.

I challenge her to find any pro-choice advocate who uses such terms.

eric

@14:

Isn’t there an equivalent to the Principal Private Secretary in the American political system. you know, a person hired to make sure the politician doesn’t look like a complete knob?

Most politicians do have staffers for both fact-checking and PR purposes. But as I said above, this appears to have been an off-the-cuff statement she made in a legislative session – it wasn’t a prepared statement or part of a public speech.

Second, I suspect there’s some Dunning-Krueger going on here. I expect that the politicians who most need fact-checkers are the ones least likely to think they need them.

mcmillan

There’s only one face needed; Laubenberg’s. How about we get EVERYone’s palm to connect at high speed. Line starts here.

As idiotic as Laubenberg’s comment is, you’re not helping by suggesting she deserves violence against her for it.

John Phillips, FCD

Eric, unfortunately, that seems to apply to most, if not all, rapeublicans.

Synfandel

Even the Russian judge has to call this one a perfect 10.0.

kevinalexander

Don’t they have staff? You’d figure that, even if her office was full of fools, that the least foolish fool would’ve spoken up when she came up with the idea.

No one is going to tell her what they know she doesn’t want to hear. Minions are like that.

D. C. Sessions

Don’t they have staff?

Yes, but the ones who contradict the Boss don’t last long. And “correct” is just a subset of “contradict.”

In fairness, offering “plan B” is a standard element of patient care after a rape. I don’t want to get into a whole big thing about one’s decision making ability after a traumatic event, but is it possible this is what she was talking about?

garnetstar

podkayne @23, that’s an interesting thought. But if it’s the case, that means that she thinks that Plan B causes abortion (it doesn’t). Either way, appallingly ignorant, and appallingly arrogant for her to think that she can make decisions based on her (lack of) knowledge.

DaveL

What is it about Republicans that they just can’t stop saying appalling things about rape?

D. C. Sessions

What is it about Republicans that they just can’t stop saying appalling things about rape?

When something is constantly on your mind, eventually it’s going to blurt out.

eava

I didn’t take her statement to mean she thought a rape kit was a form of abortion or plan B was part of a rape kit. I thought she was saying that the hospital has some was of removing all of a rapist’s semen as part of the rape kit, hence the “cleaning out” terminology. So if the hospital can magically extract all the semen, the woman can’t get pregnant. Just a variation on the completely medically inaccurate myth that douching is a contraceptive. Can a basic biology test be given before any elected official is allowed to vote or speak on reproductive health issues?

dan4

@18: “Artor” is a sociopath. On a different thread, where the topic was something that Victoria Jackson said, he left a comment suggesting that the only reason he wouldn’t rape Jackson was because of her voice.

CaitieCat

Thanks for the heads-up, dan4. I’ll keep that in mind in any further interaction. Such folk get just one chance st bad behaviour, then a second gets listed in my :Little Book of Trolls, and becomes Persona Non Grata.

Then I load up GTA4, and while driving a big Patriot/HUMMER, designate random passersby as the person to be charged over, driven into, punted off high bridges, that sort of thing. It can also be fun to throw them off the top of the Eiffel Tower if I play The Saboteur

andrewkiener

@10. “Went to Catholic Highschool…”

I also went to Catholic high school, and I can confirm that (outside religion class) we were never taught anything even vaguely near this false or stupid. Sorry to hear you were.